Kentucky Maverick [electronic resource] : The Life and Adventures of Colonel George M. Chinn /
Jackson, Carlton,1933-2014.
Lexington, Kentucky : University Press of Kentucky,
2015.
"Colonel George M. Chinn's (1902-1987) life story reads more like fiction than the biography of a Kentucky soldier. A smart and fun-loving character, Chinn attended Centre College and played on the famous 'Praying Colonels' football team that won the 1921 national championship. After graduation, he returned to his home in Mercer County and partnered with munitions expert 'Tunnel' Smith to dynamite a cliff. The resulting hole became Chinn's Cave House--a diner that also functioned as an underground gambling operation during Prohibition. He even served as Governor A.B. 'Happy' Chandler's bodyguard before joining the Marine Corps in 1943. In Kentucky Maverick, Carlton Jackson details the life of a legendary and highly decorated Marine whose career spanned both world wars, the Korean War, and Vietnam. Chinn's service paired a love of history with a special kind of genius: he documented the history of military technology while designing innovative weapons such as the M-19 automatic grenade launcher, which is still used in the armed forces today. After leaving the Corps, Chinn leaned on his many connections to become the director of the Kentucky Historical Society. Carlton Jackson's entertaining biography weaves together outrageous tales of gunplay and politics while revealing Chinn's sense of humor, unbending will, and a sense of destiny that could only be fulfilled by a true twentieth-century Renaissance man"--Provided by publisher.
Description based upon print version of record.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Introduction: A maverick from a family of mavericks -- What's in a name? -- Football and caves -- Odds and ends; or, Here and there -- Semper fi -- "Whose history is it, anyway?" -- Back to the cave -- Action at the Kentucky Historical Society, 1959-1973 -- The world according to Chinn -- Conclusion: An assessment of Colonel George Morgan Chinn -- Appendix A: Chinn's education, awards, and achievements -- Appendix B: Chinn's publications.
"Colonel George M. Chinn's (1902-1987) life story reads more like fiction than the biography of a Kentucky soldier. A smart and fun-loving character, Chinn attended Centre College and played on the famous 'Praying Colonels' football team that won the 1921 national championship. After graduation, he returned to his home in Mercer County and partnered with munitions expert 'Tunnel' Smith to dynamite a cliff. The resulting hole became Chinn's Cave House--a diner that also functioned as an underground gambling operation during Prohibition. He even served as Governor A.B. 'Happy' Chandler's bodyguard before joining the Marine Corps in 1943. In Kentucky Maverick, Carlton Jackson details the life of a legendary and highly decorated Marine whose career spanned both world wars, the Korean War, and Vietnam. Chinn's service paired a love of history with a special kind of genius: he documented the history of military technology while designing innovative weapons such as the M-19 automatic grenade launcher, which is still used in the armed forces today. After leaving the Corps, Chinn leaned on his many connections to become the director of the Kentucky Historical Society. Carlton Jackson's entertaining biography weaves together outrageous tales of gunplay and politics while revealing Chinn's sense of humor, unbending will, and a sense of destiny that could only be fulfilled by a true twentieth-century Renaissance man"--Provided by publisher.
Description based on print version record.
Chinn, George Morgan.
United States. Marine Corps
Kentucky Historical Society
Bodyguards
Businessmen
Historians
Military art and science
Marines